Quacking at Sunset?

[Eluria]

My mallard girl has been sleeping outside in her new coop for the past few nights. She had been indoors before, but seems to really be enjoying how much more room she has in her coop. She is generally quiet, however, I have noticed that when dusk comes she gets very vocal and excitable (not panicked loud honks, but louder than her usual squeezy-toy noises that she usually makes when she is talking to herself). I thought she was afraid of the dark or something, but once the sun goes down all the way and it is nighttime she is quiet again. Is this normal duck behavior? I'm new at this.

 

[Fenris Lupa]

This is Floki, every night at bedtime

I have a Ancona , she's a house duck...but at bedtime she gets loud.

It's funny....

Is your duck alone outside now?

But from I could find is since ducks are extremely social creatures, that at night they get loud and just talk talk talk to each other as a bonding and comfort thing.

So every night when Floki gets ready for bed her, my husband and I just talk back and forth, and just as fast as she got loud......she's out.

 

[Eluria]

She does get a little louder when we go out and talk to her, so maybe she is just feeling chatty She is unfortunately an only duck, although not by my choice--she was a rescue after a dog attack along with her sibling, but the sibling died 2 days later.

 

[Fenris Lupa]

She does get a little louder when we go out and talk to her, so maybe she is just feeling chatty  She is unfortunately an only duck, although not by my choice--she was a rescue after a dog attack along with her sibling, but the sibling died 2 days later.

Oh no! That's awful, I'm sorry to hear that.

And a single duck is a lot more work then 2 +.

Since they are flock animals, they need a lot....A LOT of one on one physical attention and emotional attention to keep them happy and in the long run.....healthy.

Found this out personally with my single duck and doing extensive research.

I'm surprised that when you put her out in her coop that she doesn't quack and scream up a storm for being left alone.

My Ancona, Floki, as soon ad I'm out of eyesight, she lets out this bellow from her belly.

Drives my husband nuts sometimes......lol....

Do you plan on keeping her foe good and/or getting any more ducks?

Was my link visible and working? Cuz that is every night.

Like I said, a bonding and comfort thing.

 

[Eluria]

We are getting more ducks, but we will actually not be keeping this girl as I have discovered that we can't, since she is not a hatchery mallard. When all her feathers are in and she can get away from predators, she will be going to a park, which is where I suspect her mother came from (the family was taking a stroll through our neighborhood when the attack happened). She really isn't bonded to any of us, so I think she will be much happier there. But since having her lead to research and an interest in ducks, I have an order of 4 babies coming from Metzer Farms with a shipping date of August 25, so less than 2 weeks till we have babies Two WH, a cayuga and a blue swedish--my daughters keep asking when their ducks will be here